Turismo de base comunitária como estratégia de desenvolvimento local em territórios rurais de Sergipe

Abstract

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) emerges as the main focus of this study, empirically investigated in light of regional analysis. The general objective was to analyze collective actions in CBT in rural territories as a strategy for local development in the state of Sergipe. The specific objectives were: i) to diagnose collective actions/initiatives and community leadership directly involved in tourism activity and productive chains in rural territories of Sergipe, using primary data obtained through non-probabilistic field research applying the snowball technique, and secondary data from the Quilombola Lands Observatory; ii) to catalog collective actions and the tourism products/services involved in local tourism offerings with the aid of primary data obtained through Participatory Rapid Assessment, guided by a semi-structured questionnaire, which was developed based on the theoretical-methodological synthesis of literature review and directed at the 74 community leaders identified by the sample; the data were processed with the support of Iramuteq software and illustrations through geotechnologies via Google Earth Pro; iii) to characterize the socioeconomic dynamics of municipalities, based on secondary data consulted in the electronic databases of the Human Development Atlas in Brazil (ATLASBR), the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IpeaData), and the Automatic Recovery System of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (SIDRA/IBGE). The socioeconomic characterization of the territories was evaluated through the calculation of centrality and disparity indicators in light of regional analysis and spatial econometrics, illustrated by the Quantum GIS software. The analysis period of ATLASBR databases was from 2010 for the Municipal Human Development Index (MHDI) analysis, and from 2010 to 2020 for the analysis of population data, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and Gross Value Added (GVA), disaggregated by sectors of the economy, extracted from IpeaData and SIDRA/IBGE. The temporal cut-offs were selected based on the availability of information for calculating indicators, as well as the extent of economic contraction caused by the national economic crisis in 2016 and the 2019 health crisis due to the covid-19 pandemic (SARS-CoV-2). For both primary and secondary data analysis, the geographical delimitation and spatial cut-off delineated by the Regional Development Plan of the state of Sergipe based on the Planning Territories of the state of Sergipe were considered. The results highlight that CBT is a reality in some communities in the Baixo São Francisco, Grande Aracaju, and Sul Sergipano territories, demonstrating a network configuration composed of various voices, popular knowledge, and associated institutions. This network allows for the constant integration of guidelines and principles that support CBT. The development of protocols for prior, free, and informed consent and the exchange between communities, with the sharing of knowledge and experiences, are evidenced as good practices in communities where CBT is more consolidated. On the other hand, in communities of the Central Agreste, Alto Sertão and Leste Sergipano, CBT is not yet fully constituted but represents a local aspiration. However, in some cases, it is necessary to sensitize communities to fully understand this phenomenon, as there is sometimes a gap in understanding its meaning. No initiatives have been identified so far in the Centro-Sul and Médio Sertão Sergipano territories. Based on this diagnosis and discussions about the potential of CBT in Brazil, which have been articulated by representatives from various spheres, including universities, social movements, non-governmental organizations, international cooperation agencies, and government institutions, as well as by community leaders involved in the defense of the rights of traditional peoples and populations, it is recommended to develop regulations to stimulate the development of CBT at the state level. Additionally, strategies for local development with identified action axes on-site and a respective action plan for strengthening CBT are proposed. It is concluded that CBT emerges as a viable strategy to boost traditional communities by highlighting the heterogeneity and value aggregation of income-generating productive activities, based on natural and sociocultural potentials in tourist appropriation by local traditional communities, supporting job creation and income generation, as well as strengthening governance in the context of collective structures and the tourism market.